We all need nature, and for children it’s now recognised as critical – not only boosting mental and physical health but also supporting different learning styles and capacity to learn and build confidence. We speak to three schools that celebrate and promote learning in the great outdoors and see its far-reaching benefits
Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate
At QE’s Chapter House and Queen’s Kindergarten, Head Karen Kilkenny is a great believer in the importance of taking learning beyond four walls. “Outdoor learning is a large part of school life for all ages at Chapter House,” she says. “We plan our outdoor activities around the children to include their interests and the seasons.”
Located on a stunning campus estate near York, the Collegiate is blessed with plenty of green space to provide an immersion in nature. This includes a dedicated woodland area for Forest School and wellbeing activities. “Our Level 3 Forest School Specialist Charlotte Catton runs sessions that engage the younger children in a variety of activities including creating nature art from found materials, campfire cooking, den building, role play and flora and fauna recognition and research,” adds Karen Kilkenny.
Charlotte Catton can testify to the magic this brings to the school day for pupils. “The children love the excitement of leaving the classroom and being able to experience the outdoors. They have the space and freedom to take risks in a controlled environment.”
Weather is always a variable in the UK, but this doesn’t get in the way. “We take the children outside no matter the weather. The younger children have access to all-weather clothing for outdoor play and Forest School sessions,” says Karen Kilkenny. “If it rains, we splash in puddles, if it snows, we play in the snow, and if there is ice, we learn about melting and smashing and do fun experiments.”
“The children love the excitement of leaving the classroom – they have the space and freedom to take risks in a controlled environment”
The 220-acre campus at QE ensures older Chapter House children can also benefit from nature enrichment and learning. There are wellbeing walks for pupils, as well as two all-weather areas just outside the school building that are well used for specific project work – for instance investigations in science and number trails in numeracy. “Within this setting, we have round bench seating for lessons, a library where we can share books, both inside and outside, and plenty of space to develop motor skills through ball games,” says Karen Kilkenny.
There’s also an area for the early years children to explore outdoors throughout the school day – perfect for inspiring free-flow learning and play. It’s easily accessible and designed to build independence, so that pupils build confidence, take charge of their learning and initiate their own ideas. Fun resources include a mud kitchen and water play, a stage for small group performances and a garden for growing their own produce. Chapter House also gets to share the extensive facilities of the wider campus – including Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate’s lovely Kitchen Garden. “Our little gardeners help grow produce that is then cooked and served onsite.”
The school ensures that all age groups regularly take advantage of wider community resources locally, such as Piglets Farm and Yorkshire Wildfire Park. “We also have visits from groups such as Nuzzlets who bring a variety of animals onsite for the children to learn about, pet and feed,” adds Karen Kilkenny. “In addition, Year 5 students participate in a residential visit each year to High Adventure, where they undertake team building activities such as climbing, archery and kayaking.”
For Karen Kilkenny there’s no doubt that taking QE’s Chapter House pupils outside is a rich and powerful addition to both enjoyment and academic outcomes. “It fosters the physical, cognitive, emotional and social development of children by providing them with opportunities to learn through play, exploration and discovery in a natural outdoor environment,” she says. “It enables children to express themselves in an infinite number of ways through exploration and to become independent learners who can also work well as part of a team.”
Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate qe.org
Millfield Prep School
At Millfield Prep in Somerset, nature and experiential outdoor learning play a huge part within both the curriculum and co-curricular opportunities. “Our rural location is an outdoor lover’s paradise,” says Millfield Prep Headmaster Dan Thornburn. “It is a wonderful environment to grow up in, foster a love of learning and create lifelong childhood memories. Our pupils learn by experiencing the environment first-hand.”
Breadth of opportunity is central to Millfield Prep’s philosophy – giving pupils the opportunity to try new things, have a go and find their talents and their passions. With over 80 different activities – from climbing and archery to surfing and kayaking – there is an activity here for every pupil. While Somerset weather can be as unpredictable as the rest of the UK’s, the team believe learning in all condition only aids pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the environment around them. And, of course, the right kit and preparation makes learning even in the cold and wet, an exhilarating and rewarding experience.
Millfield Prep launched a Wellbeing Curriculum in 2021 to develop pupils’ understanding of their own mental health and wellbeing and that of other people around them. The curriculum is also designed to give them the tools to understand and enhance both physical and mental health. Pupils in Years 7 and 8 have a weekly 40-minute lesson, in addition to their PSHEE class, in order to participate in activities such as yoga, outdoor activities and mindful walk and talk.
“It is a wonderful way to foster a love of learning – pupils learn by experiencing the environment first-hand”
The 200-campus set in lush Somerset countryside close to the iconic Glastonbury Tor provides many other outdoor opportunities. Alongside multiple sports pitches and golf courses, there’s an equestrian centre and onsite Forest School. The Prep also has access to the exceptional facilities of Senior sister Millfield – a seven-minute drive away – so Prep pupils benefit from a further 240 acres of state-of-the-art sports and outdoor facilities and spaces.
This area of the West Country is rich in wildlife, and every week, a team of enthusiastic children volunteer to take part in conservation efforts at the local Shapwick Moor Nature Reserve (part of the Avalon Marshes wetlands). The Moor is a haven for wild birds and Millfield Prep pupils take on a variety of tasks to support them and their natural environment. This includes constructing bird hides and clearance of trees to improve biodiversity and attract more beneficial wildlife to the area.
Beyond the local landscape, organised camps for whole year groups take place with school activity trip specialist PGL. Recent treats have included visits to Barton Hall, Adventure Bude and Adventure Wales, where pupils take part in adventures such as high ropes, dragon boating and caving. Closer to home, boarding houses regularly enjoy spending a summer’s evening trekking up Glastonbury Tor to enjoy the panoramic views over the Somerset Levels and beyond.
One side benefit of the Wellbeing Curriculum has been in pupils’ perception and enjoyment of nature. This, alongside the full outdoor programme, has spilled over into all aspects of school life. “Children are noticeably calmer, more relaxed and settled around campus, something that has been recognised by teachers, houseparents and peers,” says Deputy Head (Pastoral) Ben Hilton.
This, of course, supports resilience and academic focus – as well as giving children a strong practical foundation to maintain wellbeing all the way through school and into adult life. As one Year 8 pupil Bertie noted: “I have found the new Wellbeing Curriculum really fun and enlightening. I have learnt how to do things like meditate, which I had never done before – rather than just being told about meditation, we have all been trying it out”.
Millfield Prep School millfieldschool.com
Cranleigh Prep School
At Cranleigh Prep School, in the heart of the Surrey Hills, the surroundings lend themselves to making the most of nature and exploring. With some 40 acres of delightful grounds to roam in, including orchard and playing fields, outdoor education is central to pupils’ education.
Headmaster Neil Brooks says there is no single role that outdoor learning plays in school life, but many – from resilience, teamwork and collaboration skills to building understanding of the natural world and developing a love of exploration and adventure. He adds that it also builds skills and enthusiasm in areas such as the natural sciences and awareness of environmental issues. “Fundamentally, outdoor learning helps to eradicate the rather old-fashioned but widely held belief that learning takes place in a classroom, a formal environment in which a teacher facilitates children increasing their knowledge and understanding of specific subject areas. Outside, the environment for learning is completely different and can be literally without boundaries,” he says.
“We are all aware of the benefits of being in the fresh air, surrounded by greenery and birdsong, on our wellbeing and research provides substantial, indisputable evidence to support the need to get out into nature to promote and sustain positive mental health,” he adds. At Cranleigh Prep, there is also a focus on helping children to understand that they are part of something bigger and have a responsibility to steward the natural environment.
“Simply by being outside, the children are subconsciously becoming more familiar and aware of the natural world in all its beauty”
Neil Brooks sees this as an important by-product of the fun, scientific study and imaginative learning that takes place outdoors. “At the same time as learning survival skills, kick-starting their imagination for a creative story set in a far-off jungle, re-enacting the battle of Bannock Burn or studying the number of species which call an oak tree home, simply by being outside, the children are subconsciously becoming more familiar and aware of the natural world in all its beauty.” And children here venture outdoors whatever the weather. “The huge benefit from children going out in the rain and cold is that it adds enormously to their sense of resilience. A little discomfort is soon forgotten if their minds are distracted by an interesting and engaging activity.”
At Cranleigh Prep, the philosophy is to ensure that every child’s education includes plenty of variety to inspire fun and inspired learning – and here, that really does come without limits. “It can be working as a team to cross a field of ‘shark-infested custard’ with barrels and planks, looking at mathematical data on a slope profile, painting a landscape, exploring different leaf patterns on trees or just running about playing tag,” says Neil Brooks.
Whatever the adventure, he has no doubts it adds something immeasurable. “The benefits can be enormous and varied, and there’s fun to be had – even if it’s coming into a warm classroom for hot chocolate after a cold and wet adventure.”
Cranleigh Prep School cranprep.org
Further reading: Out to play
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